Part 70

Those thousand decencies, that daily flow From all her words and actions.

Milton.

De"cene (?), n. [L. decem ten.] (Chem.) One of the higher hydrocarbons, C10H20, of the ethylene series.

De*cen"na*ry (?), n.; pl. Decennaries (#). [L. decennium a period of ten years; decem ten + annus a year.] 1. A period of ten years.

2. (O. Eng. Law) A tithing consisting of ten neighboring families. Burrill.

De*cen"ni*al (?), a. [See Decennary.] Consisting of ten years; happening every ten years; as, a decennial period; decennial games. Hallam.

De*cen"ni*al, n. A tenth year or tenth anniversary.

||De*cen"ni*um (?), n.; pl. Decenniums (#), L. Decennia (#). [L.] A period of ten years. "The present decennium." Hallam. "The last decennium of Chaucer's life." A. W. Ward.

{ De*cen"no*val (?), De*cen"no*va*ry (?), } a. [L. decem ten + novem nine.] Pertaining to the number nineteen; of nineteen years. [R.] Holder.

De"cent (d"sent), a. [L. decens, decentis, p. pr. of decere to be fitting or becoming; akin to decus glory, honor, ornament, Gr. dokei^n to seem good, to seem, think; cf. Skr. dç to grant, to give; and perh. akin to E. attire, tire: cf. F. décent. Cf. Decorate, Decorum, Deign.] 1. Suitable in words, behavior, dress, or ceremony; becoming; fit; decorous; proper; seemly; as, decent conduct; decent language. Shak.

Before his decent steps.

Milton.

2. Free from immodesty or obscenity; modest.

3. Comely; shapely; well-formed. [Archaic]

A sable stole of cyprus lawn Over thy decent shoulders drawn.

Milton.

By foreign hands thy decent limbs composed.

Pope.

4. Moderate, but competent; sufficient; hence, respectable; fairly good; reasonably comfortable or satisfying; as, a decent fortune; a decent person.

A decent retreat in the mutability of human affairs.

Burke.

-- De"cent*ly, adv. -- De"cent*ness, n.

De*cen`tral*i*za"tion (?), n. The action of decentralizing, or the state of being decentralized. "The decentralization of France." J. P. Peters.

De*cen"tral*ize (?), v. t. To prevent from centralizing; to cause to withdraw from the center or place of concentration; to divide and distribute (what has been united or concentrated); -- esp. said of authority, or the administration of public affairs.

De*cep"ti*ble (?), a. Capable of being deceived; deceivable. Sir T. Browne. -- De*cep`ti*bil"i*ty (&?;), n.

De*cep"tion (?), n. [F. déception, L. deceptio, fr. decipere, deceptum. See Deceive.] 1. The act of deceiving or misleading. South.

2. The state of being deceived or misled.

There is one thing relating either to the action or enjoyments of man in which he is not liable to deception.